Love City Groove (song)

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"Love City Groove"
Single by Love City Groove
from the album Hard Times
Released27 March 1995 (1995-03-27)[1]
Genre
Length
  • 3:55 (7-inch mix)
  • 5:47 (12-inch mix)
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Stephen "Beanz" Rudden
  • Tatiana Mais
  • Paul Hardy
  • Jay Williams
Producer(s)
  • Beanz
  • George Stewart
YouTube

"Love City Groove" is a song by British rap group Love City Groove that represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest 1995.[2]

The song

The song was written by Stephen "Beanz" Rudden,

Tatiana Mais, Paul Hardy, and Jay Williams. It was released by China Records and Planet 3 as a single from Love City Groove's album Hard Times on 27 March 1995. It was subsequently released in several versions in the same year, with three remixed
versions released in Germany in 1996. Another version was released in Japan in 2003 for DJ use only.

Chart success

"Love City Groove" reached number seven on the

UK Singles Chart that May,[3][4] selling over 200,000 copies.[5]
The vocals were performed in
Yinka Charles, performing as Reason.[3]

Critical reception

John Bush from

Eurovision entry for years".[8]

Tim Jeffery from

NME praised it as an "impossibly sunny soulful hip-hop groove", noting that it features Saint Etienne collaborator QT, RPM's Jay Williams and Dina Carroll backing vocalist Paul Hardy.[10]

Eurovision Song Contest 1995

multi-racial. Hardy's father was from Cyprus, Williams is of Hispanic background, and Reason (Yinka Charles) is Jamaican/Irish.[11]

After "Love City Groove" won A Song for Europe with 70,000 votes, controversy arose when it was alleged that the song had broken contest rules for receiving extensive airplay before the selection process, as it had been previously available as a

BBC Radio One. Following an investigation led by A Song for Europe producer Kevin Bishop, it was determined that the song had not violated contest rules since its airplay ultimately did not affect the contest's results. This decision upset several managers of the competing entrants, including Tom Watkins (representing Deuce) and Laurie Jay (representing Dear Jon). Jay called the decision a "scam," and Watkins refused to participate in the contest again, saying, "People might say I've got sour grapes, but I'm in third place anyway so I'm out of the running. I just think it's a bloody mockery."[12]

On the night of the Eurovision Song Contest, "Love City Groove" was performed 15th in the running order, following

Baunilha e chocolate". It received 76 points, placing 10th in a field of 23.[13] It was succeeded as UK representative at the 1996 contest by Gina G with "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit".[citation needed
]

Charts

References

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 25 March 1995. p. 35.
  2. ^ Osborn, Michael (16 May 2006). "Entertainment; Rapping for glory at Eurovision". BBC News. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b Osborn, Michael (16 May 2006). "Rapping for glory at Eurovision". BBC News. Archived from the original on 27 June 2006. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  4. ISBN 1-904994-10-5
    .
  5. ^ Westbrook, Caroline (13 February 2016). "Here's the moment that Voice hopeful Paul Phoenix took to the Eurovision stage..." Metro. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  6. ^ Bush, John. "Love City Groove – Love City Groove". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  7. ^ Flick, Larry (20 May 1995). "Dance Trax: Victor Simonelli Rolls 'Em Down The Aisles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 24. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  8. ^ Masterton, James (9 April 1995). "Week Ending April 15th 1995". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  9. ^ Jeffery, Tim (11 February 1995). "Hot Vinyl" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). p. 10. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  10. NME
    . p. 19. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  11. ^ Hardy, Paul (5 June 2020). "Paul Hardy on the UK: 'We always use the political bias as an excuse'". ESCBubble (Interview). Interviewed by Anthony, Matthew. Retrieved 10 July 2023. Includes video of the song.
  12. ^ "Airplay Row Hits Song for Europe". Music Week. 15 April 1995. p. 3.
  13. ^ "Love City Groove". Eurovision Universe. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 21. 27 May 1995. p. 31. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  15. Dagblaðið Vísir
    (in Icelandic). 16 June 1995. p. 24. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  16. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Love City Groove". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  17. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  21. ^ "The RM Club Chart" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental insert). 18 March 1995. p. 8. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1995". Music Week. 13 January 1996. p. 9.

External links

Preceded by United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest
1995 		Succeeded by
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